KEY POINTS:
Conservation Minister Chris Carter has welcomed Iceland's decision to stop its whale hunt because of a lack of demand for the meat.
Iceland's fisheries minister Einar K. Guofinnsson said it made no sense to issue new quotas when the present quota period expires on August 31 if the market for whale meat was not strong enough.
Iceland would not issue new whale-hunting quotas until market demand increased and it received an export licence from Japan.
